Annual Policy Conference California Dispute Resolution Council

Annual Policy Conference

THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER GREAT SUCCESS;

CDRC 15TH ANNUAL

DISPUTE RESOLUTION POLICY CONFERENCE

Friday, October 24, 2008

The Center for Conflict Resolution

Loyola Law School

The California Dispute Resolution Council is a statewide, non -profit organization comprised of commercial and non-commercial Alternative Dispute Resolution ("ADR") neutrals, providers and educators. Our members range from the largest ADR organizations to individual and community practitioners. Our membership includes organizations and individuals who use ADR services and want to preserve ADR as an accessible, efficient, and effective means of dispute resolution. Through our fulltime lobbyist in Sacramento and the volunteer efforts of members, we develop, support, and influence legislation and public policies promoting effective and accessible conflict resolution.

C O N F E R E N C E P R O G R A M

9:00 - 10:00amRegistration / Coffee

Generously sponsored by:

10:00 - 10:15amWelcome Paul Dubow, President

10:15 - 11:00amCapitol Report Donne Brownsey, Lobbyist

A comprehensive review of the status of recent proposed legislation affecting your ADR practice. Donne will give her annual "behind the scenes" look at what's going on in the Governor's office and the back rooms of the legislature. Donne has a wealth of connections in Sacramento and her annual predictions for what the State Capitol has in store for us in the coming years are always enlightening and entertaining.

11:00am - 11:10amBreak / Coffee, Water bar

11:10am - 12:00pmKeynote Speaker: Hon. Alex Williams,

Judge of Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles

Judge Williams, a winner of the "Peacemaker of the Year" Award from SCMA, recently retired from the Los Angeles Superior Court after 39 years of public service, 24 years of which were on the bench. Judge Williams will be joining the dispute resolution profession as a private judge and will continue to teach mediation at Pepperdine Law School. His perspectives from the bench, the lectern and now as a neutral will certainly captivate and educate.

12:00 - 12:30pm Lunch

Lunch generously sponsored by:

and

12:30 - 1:15pm Annual Membership Meeting

Announcement; Election of 2009 Officers and Directors.

Presentation of annual Don Weckstein Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to the Growth and Promotion of ADR.

Recipient; Ester Soriano, posthumously.

Ester’s service to the dispute resolution community was so effective, energetic and thorough, CDRC is presenting this award posthumously for the first time to Ester’s family. Familiar to the Southern California community, Ester was a nationally recognized pioneer in mediation and worked 37 years for the county and created its Dispute Resolution Program. She helped found several social service and political groups, including the Search to Involve Filipino Americans, the Asian American Drug Abuse Program, the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment, and the National Committee for the Restoration of Civil Liberties in the Philippines. CDRC is proud to honor Ester Soriano with the fourth Don Weckstein Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to the Growth and Promotion of ADR.

Presentation of first Ester Soriano Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to Community Mediation Programs.

Recipient; Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas.

CDRC has created this Award to further honor Ester Soriano’s contributions to the dispute resolution profession. The first recipient is Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas, who has expended great energy over the last two years in promoting legislation in favor of community dispute resolution, including significant efforts with Senate Bills 396 and 1177. He has worked tirelessly to educate our legislature on the benefits of ADR, and we are deeply indebted to him for his commitment to protecting peaceful communities.

Award presentation for Straus Institute at Pepperdine writing competition.

Award presentation to Dr. Anke Meier, LL.M. of Munich, Germany for her winning submission in the annual Straus Institute CDRC Writing Competition.

1:15 - 1:25pm Break / Cookies

1:25 - 2:30pm

Concurrent

Sessions

· SCMA Presents: Timely Topics for Mediators

Speakers: Nikki Tolt, Esq., Phyllis Pollack, Esq., and Ivan K. Stevenson, Esq.

A discussion on a number of timely topics for all mediators, professional or volunteer, including where our industry is going for the professional mediator, a comparison of mediation programs and the impact of recent case law on the everyday practice of mediation that affects each and everyone of us.

·         A View from the Other Side of the Table: Counsel Speaks

Speakers: Richard Marks, Esq., William Block, Esq., Scott Tepper, Esq., and Lee Jay Berman.

Mediator and Trainer Lee Jay Berman will lead a discussion amongst frequent users of mediation. Get the inside scoop on what the attorneys really think! This will be a very useful session, with opportunities to ask those questions you’ve never before dared. This topic promises to be as enlightening as it is entertaining.

2:30 – 2:40pm Break / Soda, Water

2:40 - 4:00pm

Concurrent

Sessions

·         The Impact of Court Qualification Standards on Community Mediation Programs Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Speakers: Karenjot Bangoo Randhawa, Steve Ceveris, Mary Culbert, Steve Dinkin, Avis Ridley-Thomas, and Heather Anderson. Moderator: Don Fobian.

Join this esteemed panel of court and community administrators as they discuss the Impact of court qualification standards on community mediation programs in the past, currently and for the future. This program will focus on the evolution of court qualification standards and their impact on community mediation, as well as examine how Judicial Council Standards might further impact community programs. Check the conference handouts for extensive resources.

·         Digging Deeper - Identifying and Eliminating Our Cultural Blind Spots

Speakers: Deborah Rothman, Esq., Michael Powell/AAA, and L. Therese White.

Do you think neutrals are immune to bias? This extensively experienced panel will show some surprising places where bias may occur in unexpected ways, and, once identified, how to eradicate these biases in your dispute resolution practice.

·         E-Discovery: What You Must Know

Speakers: Helen Lauderdale, Esq., and Martin Quinn/JAMS.

In complex cases, electronic methods change everything about discovery. Find out how to collaborate with rather than combat e-discovery. This session will provide technical tips, including how to monitor the process to avoid the potentially negative consequences.

4:30 - 6:00pmMembers Reception

Join fellow CDRC members, meet CDRC’s board of directors, catch up with old friends and discuss the events of the day with your colleagues.

Generously sponsored by: